Deathly (Not really) Snowfall
by Lucicelo
Summary: Another infamous duo joins in on the annual vacation. Guardian!Ruka part 7


_**A/N: Oh yes, Ruka in the Hokkaido vacation manga chapter! I didn't add the talking animals and queen section to focus on other fun portions. There is a bit of angst, in a small part, Ruka talks about her feelings about moving on.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **If you'd like to buy me a coffee through using Ko-Fi, to help fuel me to update even more, you can find the link on my tumblr: Lucicelo.**_

 _ **-Lucicelo**_

* * *

 _ **Deathly (Not really) Snowfall**_

Pumped up in adrenaline from the positive news of the morning, Tsuzuki looked throughout the bureau for his partner or his sister. Either one. Greeting people on his way around the familiar hallways, Tsuzuki found Hisoka chatting with Ruka in front of the Summons Section office. Hisoka held a book in his hands, listening to Ruka as she talked in an animated fashion. Holding back his yell of excitement, he hurried over to their side, almost glomping his sister in the process. He ignored Hisoka's rolling pair of eyes at the sight of his action.

Ruka let out a small gasp before turning around to face her brother. No one other than her brother dared to hold her in a fashion in the office. "Asato! How did the draw go?" She hid a wince at assuming another horrible result from their unique manner of picking a vacation spot. Good thing she planned her own vacation away from the bureau and used no flimsy methods in order to relax in a proper way. "Was it...bad?"

Hisoka looked down at the book he borrowed from the library, timing the appropriate moment before he dismissed himself. He didn't want to appear rude in front of Ruka of all people.

Tsuzuki nuzzled her cheek as he grinned. "You're going to be so happy! Ruka, we're going to Hokkaido!"

Ruka pumped her fist in excitement after hearing her brother's announcement. Asato nuzzled her cheek, making her giggle. " _Finally_! A decent work vacation! The last decade was a horrible string of bad luck for this office." She turned to Hisoka with a sheepish smile. "The office tends to use a map and a dart to pick the vacation for the year. This way of picking began before I started at the bureau."

Tsuzuki snorted. "I'm pretty sure the Chief used a man made spear and an old fashioned globe to pick their vacations back then."

Ruka smacked his side with a horrible hidden smile. "Asato!"

Hisoka let out a sigh and felt an oncoming headache. Out of all the various events that happened during his stint as a guardian, a dart board used to pick vacation wasn't odd. In fact, it seemed smart to use a dart board and not have their staff or select group chose the locations. Although, drawing a paper out of a hat wasn't a bad idea to use either.

Tsuzuki remembered a missing fact and informed them. "Before I forget, we're going with the guardians from _Hokkaido_. The group from this year couldn't make it due to circumstances they couldn't help."

Remembering the _other_ infamous duo in the Summons Section, Ruka chuckled. "I see. Should I worry for Hisoka-san's...well being?"

Turning his gaze between the both of them, Hisoka asked. "What do you mean?"

Tsuzuki and Ruka shared a look.

Ruka smiled in the most unassuming way. "You'll see."

Hisoka narrowed his eyes.

"Don't worry. They're _harmless_."

Tsuzuki disguised his snort with an obvious cough. "Right, _harmless_."

* * *

Two simultaneous voices caught the trio's attention. "Ruka-chan! Tsuzuki-san!"

Turning around to catch their zooming pink forms running toward Tsuzuki and Ruka, Hisoka winced at the loud women. Tsuzuki unattached himself from Ruka before they made contact. Both of these women squeezed Ruka in between them in a collective hug, before going toward Tsuzuki and giving him the same attention. His partner scratched the back of his head with a smile. Shivering at their over touchiness these women placed upon Ruka and Tsuzuki, he assumed he was next in line.

All four of them went through a fast paced conversation which Hisoka tuned out through his self induced invisibility. He didn't want these _strangers_ to _see him_. He observed the new guardians, well to him, new guardians. One had her hair in a bob haircut while the other one had long hair separated between two low pigtails. Both of them wore the exact same attire, except the long haired woman wore a choker around her neck.

The woman with short hair pouted as she put her hands on her hips. "You two don't seem very surprised to see us. We went through all this trouble trying to come here without saying anything."

Tsuzuki chuckled. "Tatsumi and the chief gave me a heads up about you two."

Ruka addressed them both, happy to see them after a whole year apart. "It has been so long."

"It has!" The long haired woman exclaimed. "We got very busy for the latter half of the year. We barely managed to finish a case before the annual vacation rolled around."

The short haired woman noticed Hisoka's form from her peripheral. She walked over to him and went close enough to his face. "Hey...who's this cutie? Is he your new partner, Tsuzuki?" Her words caught her partner's attention who went to her side.

Hisoka furrowed his brows. "Yes, I am."

Their onslaught of comments caught Hisoka _off guard_.

"Your skin is so soft! I'm so jealous! You're so much cuter than a girl!" Fingers brushed against his cheek.

One of them touched his waist. "Such a slim waist! Oh, it's been years since I've been this small."

"Your hair is so silky! I can only imagine it's soft to the touch!" A hand almost came in contact with his hair, overloading his sensibilities.

Hisoka yanked his arm away from them, snapping in irritation. "Don't touch me!" Without meaning to, he went toward Ruka and moved around her other side.

Finding the whole scenario funny, Tsuzuki introduced the duo. "Hisoka, these are the guardians of section 9. Hokkaido's guardians!"

"I'm Saya Torii!" Saya bowed.

"Yuma Fukiya!" Yuma lifted her arm in excitement.

When Tsuzuki explained Yuma and Saya's _tendencies,_ Hisoka paled fast. An extended vacation with two overly affectionate females was a nightmare. Tsuzuki wasn't going to help him. He imagined Tsuzuki teasing him throughout their so called _stress-free_ vacation and pushing him to spend more time with these ladies.

An idea sparked in his head.

With Ruka at his side, Yuma and Saya _stayed_ in their _respective_ spots. They stayed _put_. No more steps toward him. He resolved his issue through sticking around Ruka whenever those two made any indication of going toward him.

* * *

A good portion of their group slowed down their footsteps, admiring the interior of the hotel. The comments about Tatsumi splurging on their vacation resurfaced. Mouth agape, the group wandered throughout the lobby, rolling in their luggage for the duration of their stay. Hisoka dragged Tsuzuki away from a beautiful woman to keep him from staying behind and embarrassing their group.

Tatsumi went toward the front desk and spoke with the receptionist. Sharing a greeting, he informed her of the group and relayed the name that he used for the reservation. Right beside him, Ruka lifted a brochure from a plastic stand and read about the perks of the hotel.

As Tatsumi finished the last parts of signing in, Ruka closed the brochure and placed it back in its place. "Before you begin assigning rooms, I can share a room with Yuma and Saya. I don't take much space." She mused. "Being tiny has its perks."

"Hmm..." Tatsumi shook his head.

Looking up, Ruka saw that his profile displayed an amused smile.

"Now, that won't do. We need you to keep a _close_ eye on Tsuzuki. Although, it would be good to have you look after those two as well."

Ruka patted Tatsumi's back, snickering at his teasing. "We _do_ have an even number of people. I might as well room with Asato. Don't worry, I made sure that Asato didn't bring his... _creations_ on this trip." Tatsumi arched a brow. "I did!"

"So you claim." Tatsumi pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I distinctly remember that he brought a _bag of cookies_ during the company trip to the Sahara. Cookies _hidden_ a compartment in his _suitcase_."

Ruka huffed. "Asato can be swift and crafty when he wants to. Trust me, I raised him myself. Besides, I _double checked_ this time."

"Let's hope that's the case." Tatsumi snorted.

Almost as if they sensed a possible moment, Yuma and Saya sneaked up behind the two. Taking the rumor as fact, or playing it off as fact, they loved teasing the strict secretary whenever they saw him. His reactions made their day. This _one_ rumor broke Seiichiro Tatsumi out of his stern persona into an almost adorable mess.

Watari and Konoe looked on in eagerness to catch any action.

Yuma patted their backs, both of them turned around to catch her wink. "Wanting to share a room with Ruka-chan without our knowledge, Tatsumi-san? _Oooooh_.."

Saya placed her hands on her cheeks and said. "Oh my,"

Tatsumi's face went bright red as he stuttered. " _E-Excuse me?!_ "

Konoe and Watari turned away to hide their smirks.

Ruka covered her face with her palm, her face heated up from the implication of their words. "Yuma-chan, Saya-chan, please don't say such things. It's highly inappropriate!"

Saya worried her lower lip. "B-but, _romance_! Why do you two hide _your_ relationship?"

"Yeah! You don't have to hide it from us. Office romances _can_ work out." Yuma insisted, conviction and passion laced her tone. "We support you two!"

"What?" Removing her hand from her face, Ruka's eyes widened. "W-We are not together. Not that there is anything wrong with being with you Seiichiro-san." Tatsumi managed to move his head in a stiff nod. "I'm rooming with _Asato_."

Saya and Yuma relented with a synchronized pout. " _Oh_."

* * *

Hisoka convinced himself of not using Ruka as a shield against the new guardians, Saya and Yuma. Standing close to Ruka throughout the journey, she brought up topics which distracted him from the quick thoughts of Yuma and Saya's imagination. Pink House. Imagining _him_ wearing Pink House. _Anything_ Pink House.

He shivered from the mental images.

When dinner was served, the Chief sat at the head of the table while everyone settled in. As a result of the teasing, Tatsumi sat far away from Ruka. Hisoka jumped at the chance to sit next to Ruka, Tsuzuki gave his partner a second glance at his odd actions. Tsuzuki felt a bit put out over Hisoka's sudden interest in his sister, but sat next to Watari and sparked up a conversation over the succulent crab on the table. Both men cried in happiness before digging in.

Yuma and Saya offered to serve all the men a serving of sake. Splitting up into two, they went from one end of the table toward the other end. Ruka declined a serving with a shake of her head and a verbal no. Both of them squished Hisoka in between them, serving him a cup while showering him with compliments. Hisoka froze on the spot, keeping his eyes on the table.

Yuma and Saya remained unaware of Hisoka's stiff posture.

Ruka on the other hand, caught on real quick.

Ruka placed a hand on Yuma's shoulder, directing her toward Konoe's empty cup of sake. Yuma and Saya left Hisoka alone to serve Konoe another cup. Hisoka sighed in relief.

Watari swallowed his bite of food before he leaned close to Tsuzuki. "What's up with the kid? He's sticking real close to Ruka-san all of a sudden. I mean, she's a delight, but he doesn't seem the type to cling to someone. _You're_ the one who _clings_ to your sister _all the time._ "

Not denying his clingy ways when it pertained his beloved sister, Tsuzuki wrinkled his brows. "You noticed Hisoka's weird behavior? I thought I was seeing things."

"Well, yeah. I've never seen him act in such a way before." Watari formed his hand into a fist and hit his shoulder. The hot springs appealed to him the more he ate his dinner.

Tsuzuki left the crab alone to observe Hisoka as he spoke to Ruka. From Ruka's motions toward Yuma and Saya, it seemed the conversation pertained to them. "I get it _._ " He turned to Watari, astounded at his conclusion. "I think Hisoka is scared of the girls."

"Nah." Watari waved a hand back and forth, dismissing the claim. "He'll get used to them. Even our toughest cookie started liking them once he grew used to them."

"Not Terazuma. That guy almost turns into a mutant dog whenever he's _near_ a girl."

Watari snickered. "Well, Terazuma is no fun."

Hisoka inched closer to Ruka, gaining an amused smile from the woman. Ever since she found out about the extent, or lack of training of his powers, Ruka kept her thoughts locked behind a wall, but still gave indications of her mood. Better than Yuma and Saya's loud thoughts. Their loud minds almost matched Tsuzuki's bundle of scattered emotions.

Ruka whispered. "As I stated before, Yuma-chan and Saya-chan are harmless. I'm sure they will stop once you voice your thoughts."

"I don't think so." Hisoka sipped on his serving of sake to hide his mouth from view. "I _tried_."

Ruka finished her tea and poured herself another cup. "You'll get used to them. Everyone in the bureau is used to their overly affectionate gestures. In their own way, they are initiating you into our flock and gaining a friendship. The men tend to enjoy their attention. I don't blame them. Having pretty girls shower them with love is a dream."

Hisoka arched a brow. "I thought _you_ were the welcome greeter of the department. _You_ handled _our_ meeting without having to put _your_ hands all over me." He grimaced at the memory of Yuma and Saya _touching_ him.

Ruka chuckled. "I'm not the type to touch people I haven't gotten to know well enough to assess their comfort level. Now, I have to bring this up, I don't mind, but you can't hide beside me for this whole trip." Hisoka blushed in mortification. "Although, it's nice having someone other than Asato sticking around me. A mother needs a break from her son sometimes."

Her last sentence brought a loud, unflattering snort out of Hisoka.

* * *

"Karaoke!"

Cheers rang throughout the room.

Hisoka said nothing, hoping no one called him out to sing.

Despite having little to normal vocal talent, Ruka raised her hand. "I'll go first!" Everyone clapped, urging her on the stage. She picked a current pop sing which went well with her vocal range. She danced with the beat,

When Asato went up, Ruka worried her lower lip at his visible stumbling. She shared a look with each person of their group, impending doom brought her heart to beat faster in her chest. Once he began singing, Ruka swore Asato didn't drink _multiple_ jugs of sake during their dinner.

He finished with a striking pose, dropping the microphone onto the floor. A screech traveled throughout the room. Stumbling back toward his sister, he grinned. "Ruka! How did I do? I sang well, right? Right?"

Ruka's strained smile was obvious to everyone but Tsuzuki. "You sang well, Asato." Her compliment earned her a kiss on the cheek and Asato holding her tight.

Watari went up stage, retrieving the microphone that Tsuzuki left on the floor after his departure. Tsuzuki hiccuped while trying to sing again, but Watari's singing overshadowed his voice own and brought red towels in the air, quieting them both down. Tatsumi's somber interpretation brought down the mood of the room. Tsuzuki whined about his their co-workers singing voices while draped over his sister.

Once the chief got on stage, the whole group braced themselves for impact.

Ruka covered her mouth as Konoe belted out his rendition of his chosen song. She noticed a good portion of the others leaving, citing a dip in the hot springs. Asato let go of her and joined Watari for their bath. Being a nice sport, she stayed behind, listening to Konoe with an amused smile. When he finished, he stumbled over to her, grinning from ear to ear, his tie tied around his head.

"Ru-chan, h-how did I do?"

Ruka covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled. "A sight to behold, chief." She helped him back to the table, Hisoka moved closer to them to hear them better. "Don't you agree, Hisoka-san?"

Hisoka hesitated. "Ah...yes...a good performance."

Chief Konoe let out a loud guffaw as he downed a cup of water. "I was _amazing_! Best out of all you lot! I need more sake..."

Ruka put her foot down. "Nope. We're having a nice cup of tea and dessert." She addressed a young woman who came inside of the room to pick up the plates. "Miss? May we have a pot of Darjeeling tea and desserts?"

"Of course," The waitress bowed with a smile and left the room with a tray in her arms.

Hiccuping, Konoe ruffled his mussed up hair. "Taking care of little old me? See, these are the instances will make me miss you too much when you leave us."

Fiddling with her sleeves, Ruka placed her line of sight toward the table. "I'm not going anywhere any time soon, chief." She lifted her gaze and noticed Hisoka's questioning eyes. "I love this job too much to leave. I have to admit, I am a bit scared to pass on." Without Asato was left unsaid and Konoe caught it through his drunk haze.

Konoe sobered up a bit. "Ru-chan..."

"Scared?" Hisoka heard the sliding door open as the waitress returned with their order. Once she set it down and left, Hisoka asked her. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Ruka served all three of them a cup of tea. "For guardians who have stuck around, many of them are afraid of returning into a cycle of unexpected trials and tribulations. You see, Asato and I, we lived through poverty during our lifetime. I tried my hardest to provide for us both, I worked long hours, gave my all in raising Asato on my own, but I never made enough to live in comfort." She placed the cups in front of Hisoka and Konoe. "Marrying above my status wasn't something I was willing to try."

Konoe and Hisoka accepted the tea cups with a thanks.

Hisoka curled his fingers around his cup, warming up his once cold hands. His own life replayed in his mind. Despite having a cushy life without worrying about money, he couldn't recall any time in his life where he found a _happy_ memory. _Nothing_ brought _nostalgia_ or _wistful_ touches of a _smile_. In his short life on Earth, he found bliss in the embrace of _death_.

"Life isn't easy." Hisoka swirled his tea. "I see where Tsuzuki gets his stubbornness from. You didn't relent to your lot in life and he followed your example. Despite his goofy ways, he is a hard worker when it comes down to it. He doesn't give up on _any_ of our cases."

Ruka hid her smile as she drank her tea. "That's good to hear, Hisoka-san." She set her cup down onto a coaster. "You're good for him."

Hisoka sighed. "He tends to rack on the bills for damages. Good thing it's on him and I don't have to put forth any of _my own_ money."

Konoe tasted the Darjeeling on his tongue before swallowing. "The bills for damages were way lower when you kept Tsuzuki in line, Ru-chan." He assured Hisoka. "Nothing against you, Kurosaki, but Ruka kept to her promise in keeping our budget for the decade they were together."

Hisoka turned to Ruka. "What did you get in return?"

"Oh I didn't request anything, I loved working alongside Asato." Ruka drank more of her tea. "I loved being a guardian after being the secretary." She winked at Hisoka. "Seiichiro-san was my replacement when I partnered with Asato. He does an amazing job at handling the office."

Konoe grumbled. "He's practically taking _my_ place."

* * *

Having taken her bath last, Ruka enjoyed having no one bothering her during her relaxation time. Yuma and Saya were nice, but she liked having private time when she soaked. Having her mind wander, letting her muscles relax in the mineral infused water, and forgetting about the outside world. Nothing felt better.

Earlier in the night, she heard a commotion, but chose to ignore the situation. A vacation meant forgetting about work, something Ruka did quite well whenever she put time off during her active guardian days. She thought a majority of the guests behaved in a proper fashion, but whoever made that noise didn't make a sound again.

She knew her friends and coworkers didn't get out of hand in public.

At lease, she hoped they didn't get into _too_ much trouble.

Feeling blissful and refreshed, she got out of her bath and put on the yukata left for guests. She re-wrapped her washed hair into her towel and picked up her clothes. Leaving the private portion of the hot springs, she made her way toward her room.

Greeting Konoe on the way to her room, she found it odd to _not_ hear Yuma and Saya chatting in their room. She paused for a moment and no words about the latest office gossip filtering out into the hallway. In fact, she heard _no one_ else despite the fact it wasn't too late to seem impolite. None of the lights were on in the rooms as well. Letting the issue slide, she located the room that one of the employees showed them when they first arrived.

Opening the door to her room, she saw the two laid out futons on the floor and their possessions, but no sight of Asato. Rubbing her towel into her hair, she closed the door behind her, assuming Asato went on a walk before bed. Asato began enjoying walks during their partnership and kept on the habit without her. She didn't mind. Her brother didn't cling to her side _all the time_.

Giving her hair time to air dry, she went to her suitcase and took out a novel she meant to read a while ago and a hairbrush. She sat down on her futon and propped open the book onto her lap as she brushed the tangles from her hair. Reading three chapters, she moved her hand around her head and felt it dry. She braided her hair to keep it from tangling in her sleep.

Checking on the time on her watch, she found the time too late for her brother to wander about. Getting back up from her futon, she placed her book and brush back into her suitcase. Waiting another ten minutes for any sight of her brother, she let out a sigh before turning off the light. Slipping into her futon, she moved her braid over her shoulder and rolled on the side. She hoped her brother didn't make a ruckus when he returned for bed.

* * *

The wayward guardians returned to Konoe and Ruka standing at the exit they used to sneak away from the hotel. Ruka's visible relief brought an ache to Tsuzuki's heart. He didn't like worrying his sister whenever he left on his own. The animals gave them no time to retrieve Ruka to provide assistance and Tatsumi's interest upon hearing about monetary gain prompted them to push on forward.

Before Chief Konoe addressed the wayward group, he rubbed his temples to relieve his headache. "All I asked for was a vacation from work. _A vacation_. No investigations or headaches. Why does this _always_ happen to me?"

Tsuzuki squawked in indignation. "Happen to _you_? We handled this impromptu case! You were the one who got drunk and I know you passed out." He pointed toward his sister. "And I'm sure Ruka took care of you."

Ruka coughed into her fist. "Actually, we ended up having tea and dessert while the rest of you ran off during karaoke. I didn't see you in our room as I got ready for bed. No note? _Nothing_? Granted, you're too old to tell me when you leave, but I had to find out from the chief that you all left without me." She narrowed her eyes, Tsuzuki averted his gaze toward the wall behind her. "If I recall correctly, the lot of you got drunk, not Hisoka-san, of course, the poor boy can barely handle wine."

Hisoka blushed at the truth of her comment while the rest of them hunched their shoulders in shame.

Konoe snorted. "I wasn't even reprimanding you, Tsuzuki. Well, this time I had no intent on doing so. At least, you all prevented this from spiraling out of control. I can only imagine that this incident would have brought on an even worse situation due to the Snow Queen's disappearance." He nodded his head in approval. "Good job."

Ruka coughed into her hand. "There is...one issue left unsaid. We found out the reason for her disappearance." Konoe let out long exhale through his nose as Yuma and Saya paled. "Chief?"

"Yuma, Saya." Yuma and Saya raised their trembling hands, gaining Konoe's attention. "I finished speaking with the queen...why did you accept Tsuzuki's crap desserts and leave them outside?! We all know they're _inedible_!" Backing away from the group, Tsuzuki laid a hand over his rapid beating heart. Konoe's glare snapped toward him. "Let Ru-chan and Wakaba-chan handle the desserts! You've had decades to improve and there's no results! Stop giving away your creations!"

Tsuzuki harrumphed. "Practice makes perfect."

Ruka covered her face in shame. "Asato...no. Stop, please."

"Ruka! You're supposed to defend me!"

 **The end.**


End file.
